Add Grit/Sand to Deck Stain for Traction
danski0224
| Posted in General Discussion on
I have been asked to clean and stain a deck for elderly relatives.
There is a deck in the front of the house with a ramp, and a traditional small deck on the back of the house.
Is it possible to add something like silica sand to a stain (even a heavy bodied stain) for a traction aid? Is it better to toss it onto the deck as each section is stained instead of mixing it into the can?
I suppose strips of torch down roofing is another alternative, but I think the sand additive would be a bit better. I am not sure how well the roofing material would hold up to foot traffic- even light traffic.
Any thoughts out there?
Replies
My local paint store sells a product specifically as an additive to paint to create a non-slip surface. It's called Skid-Tex. I don't think it will work with stain, but I wanted to give you the product name so you could look into it further.
There are additives that work with paint (and other film-forming finishes).
But none that I know of to use with stain.
Stain is basically some sort of liquid (oil, water, etc) that is carrying dyes and/or pigments. In general, the liquid is designed to evaporate (or to polymerize into the wood), leaving the colorants behind.
With no film in which sand particles might be trapped.
One alternative is to paint the ramp with an unobtrusive color, adding grit to that. Leave the deck un-gritted and hope for good result.
I won't be laughing at the lies when I'm gone,
And I can't question how or when or why when I'm gone;
I can't live proud enough to die when I'm gone,
So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here. (Phil Ochs)
I'd use something along these lines.
http://matsetc.com/680safetytrax.html
SW sells a product called shark-something. Don't know if it works on stains.
look into that sand material poster # 2 mentions & hopefully Olympic still makes their deck stain product
heavy body w/ anti skid properties built in
maintains semi transparent quality ( rather than full body ) yet carries much colorant - all aesthetically pleasingthat combo will work and definitely throw in for mixing or stirring
I'm a committed / stubborn brush man w/ stains but good application would be roll on stain / sand and follow w/ light passage of brush dipping in thinner as you go from build up of sand in your brush - padding dry your brush on absorbent cotton rag as you go so as not to add thinner to your stain mixthe ramp another story - my favorite way dealing w/ ramp using spacers for pressure treated lumber on the perpendicular from slope of ramp say every six inches or so / often rather steep ramps on low tide or "moving" ramps on a popular lakeelderly, ramp, slope all real important to equation
if slight sand probably works and other things can be applied laterhandrail ??
Edited 9/9/2009 1:53 pm ET by johnharkins
in concrete we sometimes use a product called "Shark Bit", it's a silica sand that use mix with the sealer and apply to concrete when you need something to be slip resistent. i think it will work on a wood deck. you should be able to find it at a construction supply house.
There are several entry ramps at the nearby resort I do work for on which I have tried various treatments to prevent people slipping. I at first tried several colored deck coatings with integral grit - one had rubber, the other some harder, nastier stuff - Neither worked very well. I looked into the non-stick pads used on boats. They are undoubtedly the top of the line solution, but their price reflects that.
What I have used successfully for years now are pieces of rolled roofing. Tacked down they last for years - even in high traffic areas. The key is to use small pieces so they do not have the chance to expand and crease when hot.
For areas such as docks where people generally wear shoes, everyone around here uses wire mesh of varied degrees of aggressiveness. Probably not a good fit with elderly relatives.
I once workd for a place that made panels you were expected to walk on, while they were wet, from either fresh or salt water.
Their 'no skid' finish was to use glorified salt shakers to apply both beach sand and the white silica sand to the first coat of paint as it was drying, but still tacky. Then they painted again, and sanded again - but this time almost immediately.
Years later I did the same with a clear finish on a wheelchair ramp, and it served its' purpose well.
Thanks for the suggestions.